Quick-change sizer counter switch mounting



Jan. 8, 1952 H. J. MUMMA 2,581,693

QUICK CHANGE SIZER COUNTER SWITCH MOUNTING Filed Sept. 24, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOE HAEOL 0 J'MUMMA ATTOE/Vf) Jan. 8, 1952 H. J. MUMMA QUICK CHANGE SIZER COUNTER SWITCH MOUNTING Filed Sept. 24, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 /NVEN7'OR HAROLD JMl/MMA A TTOENE Y Jan. 8, 1952 ,1. UMM 2,581,593

QUICK CHANGE SIZER GQUNTER SWITCH MOUNTING- Filed Sept. 24, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 l/VVE/VTO Q HAROL D d. MOMMA AT TOENE Y Jan. 8, 1952 H. .1. HUMMA QUICKCHANGE SIZER COUNTER SWITCH MOUNTING 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 24, 1949 11.420110 Ml/MMA 'INVENTOQ.

Patented Jan. 8, 1 952 QUICK-CHANGE SIZER COUNTER SWITCH MOUNTING Harold J. Mumma, Riverside, Calif., assignor to Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation, San Jose, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application September 24, 1949, Serial No. 117,658

7 Claims.

dustry and is especially useful on a fruit sizer which is adapted for sizing different kinds of fruit such as oranges and grapefruit which differ considerably in average diameter, and in which it is desired to count the individual pieces of fruit passing through said sizer.

In packing houses handling both oranges and grapefruit, and in which both of these fruits must be sized before packing them in shipping boxes, it is necessary to use the same sizers for sizing the oranges and the grapefruit. The marked difference in average diameter of these two kinds of fruit makes it necessary, when switching from one of these fruits to the other, to change all the sizing openings of the sizer. Since it may be necessary, in such houses, to change from handling oranges to handling grapefruit and vice versa several times a day, ithas become important to reduce to a minimum the time required for making these sizing opening adjustments, and unitary controls have been devised which have largely solved this problem.

To assist in keeping books on the proportion of each farm-ers lot of fruit which is of each packing size, sizers have been equipped with counters for counting the number of pieces of fruit of each size into which a farmers lot is divided by the sizer. For accuracy in thus counting the fruit, electric switches contacting'the individual pieces of fruit are mounted on arms which swing up and down, each arm being lifted by a piece of fruit as the switch on said arm is actuated by said piece of fruit to count the latter. Because said arms must be relatively short to accomplish their function, they must be disposed at' a different height above a fruit runway when counting oranges than they are disposed when counting grapefruit. It has also been found desirable, if not necessary, to have these switch arms located so that the arms will be engaged by the highest point on the fruit at the moment the switch is actuated by the latter. This makes it desirable to guide the fruit as it passes under the switch arm so that it will be approximately in alignment therewith. These guides are on opposite sides of the switch arm and naturally must be closer together for guiding oranges than for guiding grapefruit. Another reason why adjustment of these guides isnecessary is that guides far enough apart to handle grapefruit might allow two oranges to pass underneath the switch arm abreast of each other, in which case the two oranges woul mere P counted as m 1 It is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanism whereby the adjustment of the mountings for the counter switch arms and the positioning of the guides for the fruit in a quick change sizer may be quickly made in changing from the handling of one kind of fruit to the handling of a different kind of fruit.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing object as well as further objects and advantages will be made manifest in the'following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig-1 is a perspective of a sizer having two view units of a preferred embodiment of the invention mounted thereon, and with said units adjusted for handling oranges.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of said units from a three-quarter angle with the same adjustment.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 and shows the invention adjusted for the handling of grapefruit.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a guide Wall of the invention with the switch arm mount removed therefrom and showing said wall in an expanded condition, as when handling oranges.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional View taken on the line 5-5 of Fig.4 and illustrating the cable control for said guide wall and the manner in which the switch arm mount is secured thereon.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 and illustrates said wall in collapsed condition, as when handling grapefruit.

Referring specifically to the drawings, my invention is illustrated therein as installed in a sizer IQ having a frame I! including a central structure [2 supporting a conveyor base l3 over which conveyor belts M and 15 travel in opposite directions as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1. The structure l2 also has arms !6 which extend outwardly to support a platform l! which overlies the conveyors l4 and 15.

Supported on the structure I2 and not shown in the drawings is a sizing mechanism for sizing either oranges or grapefruit and quickly changeable in adjustment to handle either one of these two kinds of fruit. The fruit is discharged from the sizing mechanism onto a sloping cushioned board l8 (Fig. 1) from which the fruit rolls onto the conveyor belts l4 and I5.

As above pointed out, the present invention has to do with counting the fruit after it has been delivered onto One or the other of these two belts. It may be noted here that after fruit has been thus counted, it drops downwardly from the conveyor base l3 into fruit receiving bins which are disposed towards the observer from the near edge of said conveyor base.

The units 20 and 2| of the apparatus of the invention are shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, unit 20 being located over conveyor belt M, while unit 2| islocated over belt I5. These. units are identical in construction excepting that unit 20. is slightly longer than unit 2|.

Journalled in bearings 22 provided on the frame arms I6 is a control shaft 23. This shaft has fixed thereon a crank 24 which is adapted to be held in the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3 by a hook 25. Also fixed on the shaft 23 are spools 26 and 21.

The units 28 and 2| being identical in construction, length, a description for unit 20 will sufiice for both. This unit is mounted on a board 30' which is disposed between the belts l4 and I and is part of the base IS. The unit 2| is mounted in a similar manner on the front board 3| of the base [3 which lies just below the belt l5. Across thev belt Hi from the unit is provided av guide board 32. Across the belt l5 from the unit 2| is. provided a guide board 33. Mounted on the. boards and 3| between. units 20 and. 2| is a short vertical board 34.

Referring now to Figs. 4, 5, and 6,, it is noted. that the unit 20 includes an upright wall member which is rigidly mounted on the base board 30 by studs ll provided on the member 46 and extending downwardly into. suitable holes 42 provided in base board 30.

Wall. member ill has bearings 43. carrying shafts 44. Member 40 also has a boss 45 having a rounded cable passage 46 formed. therein while a'cover plate. 41 is applied by screws 48 to the member 40. Pivotally supported on the, shafts 44' are links 59 the outer ends of; which are. pivotally connected by shafts 5| to a guide wall. 52 which is provided with a. sheet metal face or cover plate 53 and has a cable 54 anchored in a.

tapered hole 55 provided therein. 7

The lower pair of links 50 rest. on a shoulder 56 provided onthe wall member 40 so as to support the guide wall 52 with its lower edge closely spaced above the conveyor belt l4 when this guide wall is in an expanded position as. shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5-.

' Extending inward from the. upper edge of. cover plate 53 of' guide wall 52 is a rebent. flange 60. having pairs of holes 6| (Fig. 4) adjacent opposite ends thereof and a notch 62 in the vertical plane of cable 54 for accommodating the latter when the invention is positioned over belt. Coil springs 63 are provided on;

l5 like unit 2|. the shafts 46 and 5| to bias the wall 52 into its outward, lowered position as shown in Fig. 5.

The cable 54 of the unit 20' extends outwardly the conveyor belt hi which; meanszthat this. axis.

is inclined slightly relative to horizontal.

The switch arm 72 may be of. any preferred:

typewell known in the, art such as. that shown.

excepting for their difference in in the U. S. Letters Patent to Frank Ahlburg No. 2,089,936 issued August 17, 1937, on a Fruit Counter. This arm embodies a switch (not shown) which is actuated by a finger 13 which is engaged by each piece of fruit as it passes under and lifts the arm 12 to allow the fruit to pass thereunder. This switch is. connected through electric conductors carried in a cable 14 with an electric circuit including a counter so that the total of all the individual pieces of fruit thus passing under the switch arm 12 and actuating the switch therein by engaging the finger I3 is shown by said counter.

Structuralelements of unit 2| may be referred to by using; the same numerals as are a plied to corresponding elements in unit 20, with prime attached. 7

Unit 2| has a slightly different position with reference to the shaft 23 by virtue of the-fact that unit 2| is mounted on base board 3| which is disposed outwardly from under the shaft '23 whereas unit 2|) is mounted in base board 30 which. is disposed inwardly from under shaft 23. The difference between the positions in which these. two units are mounted causes the cables 54 and 54. to extend from these units in diifer ent directions so that cable 54" extends from. unit 2| so as to pass around the curved guide surface provided in passage @6' in boss 45' as clearly shown by the broken lines in Figs: 5' andl6.

Operation In. the operation of. sizer H1, fruit of a certain. size, is discharged downwardly from the sizing mechanism onto board. Hi from which the fruit gravitates onto the. conveyor belts I l and |;5. which continuously travel in the direction, of: the; arrows applied theretoin. Fig. 1.

The board 34 being opposite the midpoint in board IS, the fruit is thus divided, part of .it. passing. to. the, right. along the belt M and the balance passing to the left along belt I5. The. pieces. of fruit are thus individually counted asthey successively engage: the fingers I3v and 13 of. the switcharms 12 and 12' of the two units.

As shown in Fig. 1. these units are. conditioned for handling. oranges. O by the shaft 23 being free to rotate. until the guide walls 52 and 52' are in expanded position as shown in Figs. 1,. 2, e, and 5.. This. lowering of the guide walls 52 and. 52' of the members. 46 andAll' lowers theswitcharm. mounts H and 1| and switch arms 12 and 12 so that the latter will be disposed at the proper elevation. for operating on oranges. When: changing from. Oranges to grapefruit, theshaft. 22 is rotated as. shown in. Fig. 3 whereupon. the. springs 66 and 66' in. the units 26 and 2| will collapse and lift. guide walls 52 and 52 thereby also lifting, switch arm supports 1| and H and. the switch arms 12 and '62" carried thereon, whereby the latter will be disposed at the 'proper elevation for counting grapefruit G..

While only two units 23 and 2| embodying the invention are. illustrated in. the drawings, it. is to be understood that this is only by way of;

illustration andthat similar units are supplied at.

each opening through which fruit is discharged: from the sizer If]; All of the units on one side of the sizer are controlled simultaneously as by.

a shaft 23, and where units are provided, on"

1. In a device for counting fruit of two kinds,

the average diameter of one of which differs considerably from that of the other, the combination of a guide wall which is shiftable to vary the width of the path along which said fruit may travel; a switch arm; means for mounting said arm to swing up and down with said arm extending downwardly into said path, whereby said arm is engaged and elevated by fruit passing thereunder to count said fruit; manually operable means for shifting said guide wall to increase the width of said path so as to accommodate said larger diameter fruit; and means movably supporting said switch arm mounting means in such manner that upon actuation of said wall shifting means, said switch arm mounting means is elevated to properly position said switch arm for engaging and counting said larger diameter fruit.

2. A combination as in claim 1 in which said switch arm mounting means is supported on said guide wall and in which said means for shifting said wall to widen said path lifts said wall in shifting the latter to widen said path and thereby lifts said switch arm mounting means to properly position said switch arm for counting fruit of said larger diameter.

3. A combination as in claim 1 in which spring means is provided to return said guide wall, said switch arm mounting means and said switch arm to their original positions upon the relaxation 01' said shifting means.

4. In combination: a fixed vertical member; a vertical guide wall; vertically spaced parallel links connecting said guide wall and said member; a mount provided on said guide wall and extending upwardly therefrom; a switch arm pivotally mounted on said mount to swing up and down, said arm extending downwardly therefrom to be engaged by fruit travelling along a path bounded by said guide wall; and means for swinging said guide wall on said links to shift said guide wall upwardly and towards said member thereby transmitting a similar movement to said mount and said switch arm.

5. A combination as in claim 4 in which spring means is provided for swinging said guide wall, said mount and said switch arm outwardly from said member and downwardly upon the relaxa tion of said shifting means.

6. A combination as in claim 4 in which said shifting means comprises a cable attached to said guide wall and extending upwardly and towards said member; a cable guide on said member about which said cable is adapted to turn; and a spring operating to return said guide wall to its downward position with respect to said member when the tension of said cable is relaxed.

7. In combination: a series of units each comprising the combination recited in claim 4; an actuating shaft for actuating all of the guide wall shifting means of said units, the guide wall shifting means of the respective units comprising flexible elements extending upwardly toward the fixed members of said units, said elements being guided by said members and secured to said shaft so as to be wound up thereon or unwound therefrom as said shaft is turned whereby said guide wall shifting means of all of said units .may be simultaneously actuated or relaxed, as

desired.

HAROLD J. MUMMA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,250,483 Moore et al. Dec. 18, 1917 1,967,732 Ahlburg July 24, 1934 2,212,507 Brunhoelzl Aug. 27, 1940 

